Kuranda Scenic Railway Cairns Reviews

The Kuranda Scenic Railway is an old-fashioned train that runs from Cairns, northern Queensland, through Freshwater Station, and on to Kuranda, the town in the mountains. It passes along the sheer mountain face and the most spectacular views can be witnessed from here. The train departs Cairns Station daily at 8.30AM and 9.30AM and departs from Kuranda at 2pm and 3.30PM. The journey takes two hours and it costs $48 one-way and $78 return. You can also upgrade to Gold Class for an extra $50 where the chairs are nicer and drinks and food is distributed.

They started building the railway line in 1882 in order to transport vital supplies from Cairns to the miners of Herberton. The railway was constructed in three stages. The line to Kuranda was completed in 1891. The railway took a long time to build as bridges had to be built for the train to traverse while on it's descent to Cairns and cutting of the rock face had to occur in order for the train lines to be placed safely. Many workers lost their lives building this railway. The journey passes the wonderful Barron Falls canyon/waterfall, which is magnificent in it's sheer scale. During rainy season in Queensland the amount of water pouring down it's face is a stunning sight.

The station in Kuranda is decorated to take the tourists back to the times in which it was built. Inside the carriages there are sepia photographs of the workers in the process of building the railway, that, nowadays, is only used for tourist purposes. It's honestly like stepping onto the Hogwarts Express Train.

There is something so mysterious and wonderful about train travel, and this is one of the most beautiful i've ever been on.

before i went i thought this trip was expensive for what it was...but after I realised it was worth every penny!! The skyrail trip is fantastic a must do....the view is amazing and its a bit of a thrill being up so high too. When you stop off you see Barron Falls which is a spectacular waterfall...amazing thing to see.! Then you visit Kuranda Village which is a bit of a culture shock...you can see the real aborignies and visit their traditional market houses see the town, shopping etc. Then come home on the sceneic railway which takes you through an old railway line built in something like the 1940's, with about 15 handbuilt tunnels viewing waterfalls as you go.

Imagine a slow ascent over a mighty mountain, like a bird. That's exactly what the Kurandu Scenic Railway and Sky Cable do for you. Scenic stops along the way galore. So get your camera ready... you're in for one hell of a ride... in a really relaxing and reflective way.

Kuranda Scenic Railway is an excellent day trip for anyone within the location do to so.

Kuranda station has been active for over 100 years has been attracting the tourist in search of exotic scenery and mountain air since its transition from working railway to tourist attraction. The Station is world renowned for its tropical gardens and historic significance, leading up to a unique village & a cable car attraction.

The Kuranda Scenic Rail slowly climbs from sea level in Fresh Water up to about 1100 feet at Kuranda winding through the rain forest by several waterfalls with the views of the mountains on your left and the Coral Sea on your right.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway package is well worth the $105 per adult charge. This includes your train ride from the Kuranda Station to the beautiful & renowned Kuranda Village.

Your ticket allows you to spend 3-6 hours within the Village allowing you to admire the local art galleries, shops, cafes & local Botanic Gardens & Kola Gardens, The Australian Butterfly sanctuary & the Kuranda Markets.

Once you have finished looking around Kuranda Village & all its delights you will then take the Cable Car Sky ride down to the starting point. This is the longest cable car system in the world. On the venture down you can stop off at various points seeing the local rainforest and Barron Falls waterfalls. The construction of the Skyrail support towers was erected by helicopters to minimize the impact on the rain forest. The ride ends in Caravonica Lakes, which is right next to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.

It’s a historical train and also the interior is quite unique. You get a stunning view over the rainforest and there also waterfalls along the way.

The train stops one time, so you can take pictures of Barron Falls. There are a lot of tunnels too. There is an other waterfall along the way, Stoney Creek Waterfall, where the train slows down to take pictures.

You have to book your seats in advance (travel hour and seat number) so make sure that you don’t miss the ride.

We were lucky to have one seat at the window to view the scenery. The benches are for 4 people and it’s quite crowdy. When you don’t have a window seat, you don’t see much and then the trip is very boring. It takes about one hour and a half.

I don’t know if you can choose your seats (I couldn’t when I phoned to book) but when you can, make sure you have a window seat, otherwise the trip is not worth it.

Related Travel Blogs About Kuranda Scenic Railway

Another early start to the day - it is beginning to feel as though we have jobs - never has an alarm clock been needed so much. Today we are going to Kuranda. A tour bus picked us up and …KurandaScenicRailway back to Cairns. The train was quite old fashioned, and sounded like it could do with…